4 MMA Betting Strategies That Could Help You Win Big
by Kristel Gil with Start Grid
At first glance, you might think that betting on MMA is an easy thing to do. Most people think that since it’s a 50/50 chance of winning, just picking one of them will or will not yield great results. However, when you get into the factors of the fight, the scorecards, the history, and even the style of the fighters, you’ll soon realize that it’s not as simple as it might seem.
There are more than just two fighters duking it out in the octagon. And that’s what we’re here for today. In this article, we will discuss some wise strategies you can use in MMA and how to use them to win more bets. Let’s start.
Check the Fighting Styles
One of the most common clichés you’ll hear in MMA betting is to look at each of the fighter’s fighting styles. Cliché as it might be, but it’s true. This means that a fighting style will often dictate how the fight will go. For example, let’s say that a striker will be going up against a fighter who likes to fight on the ground. The whole match would probably be the other fighter trying to take down the striker to win. It’s a mind game inside the ring.
But what does it have to do with betting? Before you take your bets, you have to see the weakness of a fighter’s fighting style. You also need to compare both fighters and try to see what sort of game plan they will be trying to employ to take down their opponent.
Let’s use the example earlier. As mentioned, the other fighter would try to take down the striker. If the other fighter somehow manages to take down the other fighter, there’s a big chance that the striker will lose since his style is unsuitable for fighting on the ground.
Look at the Professional Fight Record
Past performances can be a good indicator of how the MMA odds will go. But you can’t just look at a fighter’s past performances and conclude right then and there. There’s more to it than that. So what you want to do instead is to look at their record as a whole when it comes to fighting similar fighters.
Let’s use the previous example. To gauge how the striker will perform against a grappler, you need to look at their past performances with other grapplers. Is he good against them? How many wins did he have against them? Has he been taken down multiple times in a single match? If you see that the striker is not particularly good against grapplers, you might want to fade him in the upcoming match.
See the Strength, Speed, and Power
While technique and fighting styles often predict the outcome of a match, there are also times when superior strength, speed, and power, dictate the ending of a match. For example, when a fighter knows he will fight a fighter that directly counters his style, his camp will try to overcome this deficit by having superior strength, speed, and power.
When you’re breaking down an MMA fight, make sure to take a look at these three elements. First, however, remember that strength and power are two different things. Strength shows how strong someone is, while power is the ability to translate that strength into effectiveness in combat.
Lastly, speed. Speed is critical in this sport. A quick fighter can get in and out quickly, slip and move out of strike zones, and hurt their opponents without any risk of retaliation. Although most of the time, the smaller fighter is faster, that’s not always the case. You should never forget that when betting.
Pay Attention to the Weigh-Ins
Weight cutting is pretty standard in MMA, just like other fighting sports. Though weight cutting is usually done throughout the training and prep for a fight, most fighters miss weight and attempt to cut weight at the weigh ins. Fighters go through hot baths, saunas, or other means to lose water excessively in a short amount of time. Although some can make it through and get their ideal weight using the methods mentioned above, it can have consequences.
Being dehydrated can have a huge impact on a fighter’s performance. You will often see this in fighters who look sluggish, need assistance standing up, or have overall signs of weakness. If you spot these signs in a fighter, then betting against them should be in your best interest.
Extreme weight cutting is dangerous and has lasting degenerative effects on athletes. This is the reason why in the UK, saunas and other last-minute weight cutting methods aren’t allowed for any combat-related sports such as boxing and MMA.
Final Words
Betting in MMA is pretty complicated if you look into it closely. That said, if you’re looking to be more strategic when it comes to MMA betting, then following the strategies we laid out above should be a good start.